19 replies to this topic

[Moebius]

Why does Jacques Villeneuve wear a plaster strip across his nose during races? I know he wears glasses, but does he wear them during the race? I don't recall seeing him wearing glasses while they sit on the grid before the warm-up lap. And, I could be wrong but I think I read somewhere, possibly in the FIA regulations, that drivers aren't allowed to wear glasses during a race. Anyone know?

[hedges]

They are called breatheright strips (at least here), they have a reinforcing plastic strip inside that cause the plaster to pull out on the nostrils allowing for an increased airflow. They are quite common in other sports.

[theMot]

Doesnt it help you breath better? Maybe hes got stuffed sinus's like me.


Thats where the comparisons end though ;)

[pa]

THe strip across his nose keep his nostril dialated so he can breathe more freely. He wears contacts during races. I don't know what the FIA specifies for F1, but they don't seem to restrict lower formulae re: glasses.

I don't wear glasses when I race, because the helmet grips the frames so tightly that vibrations are transmitted through the helmet to the lenses, resulting in a phenomenon I call "helmet shake" which blurs everything in your field of view, which is not something you want when you're driving at high speed under heavy g-loads.

[Nasty McBastard]

maybe JPM belted him one...

[pa]

Originally posted by Nasty McBastard
maybe JPM belted him one...

If JV has a bandaid on his nose, Fatty Boy Montoya's in traction.

[Nasty McBastard]

id pay to see jpm and jv fight....especially in a pool of jelly

[pa]

Originally posted by Nasty McBastard
id pay to see jpm and jv fight....especially in a pool of jelly

I dunno. There seems to be a lot of chatter about JPM being out of shape and overweight. I think JV would take him in 30 seconds, tops.

[Nasty McBastard]

OK.. a jelly EATING contest then...jpm would surely win

[Vetinary]

Originally posted by pa


I dunno. There seems to be a lot of chatter about JPM being out of shape and overweight. I think JV would take him in 30 seconds, tops.

Nah...It's all about weaknesses. You see, JPM's aerodynamic haircut is simply designed for a fight - Nothing to grab, as opposed to JV, who seems to think that he could save the planet by raising a few rain forests on his cheek bones.

[Jaybee]

Rubens wears a breathing strip too- Mika, Michael and David don't, Does this suggest anything to you about the usefulness of these cosmetic band-aids?

[Mosquito]

Originally posted by Jaybee
Rubens wears a breathing strip too- Mika, Michael and David don't, Does this suggest anything to you about the usefulness of these cosmetic band-aids?

Huh???

Mika Michael and David don't wear contacts or glasses. Does this suggest anything to you about the usefulness of these cosmetic aids?

[Jaybee]

Mosquito - contacts aren't exactly a cosmetic aid!

[Mosquito]

Originally posted by Jaybee
Mosquito - contacts aren't exactly a cosmetic aid!

Ah, so you got my point.;)

Well, those plasters aren't cosmetic as well, they serve a function. For some people, it effectively helps their nose breathing, for others it obviously has no function. There are loads of sporters who use these plasters, can't be just a hype now, can it?

Glad I could clarify it.

[Moebius]

Thanks for the answers guys.

[CeCe]

Jacques has worn a breath-right strip since his Indy days. When he crashed earlier this year, and there were questions regarding his eyesight (in that everyone knows that he is one driver that wears glasses), I read an interview with Professor Sid and he said that he instructed the drivers that required corrective lenses to wear soft lenses during racing. Rubens wears contacts too.

[skylark68]

Oh that thing?

It's a Canadian invention, actually. It is used to remove blackheads and serves to help you stop snoring. My wife buys them for me, but not because of the zits.

[Captain Cook]

Originally posted by pa
THe strip across his nose keep his nostril dialated so he can breathe more freely. He wears contacts during races. I don't know what the FIA specifies for F1, but they don't seem to restrict lower formulae re: glasses.

I don't wear glasses when I race, because the helmet grips the frames so tightly that vibrations are transmitted through the helmet to the lenses, resulting in a phenomenon I call "helmet shake" which blurs everything in your field of view, which is not something you want when you're driving at high speed under heavy g-loads.

I think this post says it all really, without mincing words.
My two cents, the breathing strips don't work (placebo anyone?)

I heard an interview with JV ,in the 95-96 off season, in which he describes his own version of "helmet shake". He said he used glasses in Cart for a while but the vibrations were just too much on the ovals with the walls moving about by 3 feet!! Not what one needs on a sunday afternoon........

"new memeber"

[Indian Chief]

Originally posted by Captain Cook



I think this post says it all really, without mincing words.
My two cents, the breathing strips don't work (placebo anyone?)

I heard an interview with JV ,in the 95-96 off season, in which he describes his own version of "helmet shake". He said he used glasses in Cart for a while but the vibrations were just too much on the ovals with the walls moving about by 3 feet!! Not what one needs on a sunday afternoon........

But I remember seeing some footage from 1997 of JV testing the Williams in France while wearing the glasses. So, it must not have been that big a problem in F1.

[Captain Cook]

Originally posted by Indian Chief


But I remember seeing some footage from 1997 of JV testing the Williams in France while wearing the glasses. So, it must not have been that big a problem in F1.

Ahhh but did you see the Williams test team on their hands and knees looking for JV's contacts while he was doing the laps?